Skip to main content

Argas reflexus (Fabricius, 1794) (Figs. 4 and 5)

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Ticks of Europe and North Africa

Abstract

The life cycle of A. reflexus comprises eggs, larvae, two to four nymphal stages and the adults. Laboratory studies showed that the number of nymphal instars seems to depend on the outside temperature, with cooler temperatures leading to fewer instars. The life cycle might be as long as 3–11 years in Central Europe. Hosts are predominantly domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica). Other hosts include rock pigeons (C. livia), turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur), swifts, swallows, owls, crows, several passerine birds and chickens.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arsen’eva LP, Neronov VM (1980) Ticks and mites, ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals of Afghanistan. Med Parazitol (Mosk) 49:37–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Kahl O (1999) Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) and their medical importance in the urban environment. In: Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Urban Pests, Czech Repub, 73–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Kahl O, Knülle W (1991) The soft tick Argas reflexus (F.) (Acari, Argasidae) in urban environments and its medical significance in Berlin (West). J Appl Entomol 111:380–390. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0418.1991.tb00338.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Kahl O, Scheurer S, Knulle W (1994) Seasonal activities of the pigeon tick Argas reflexus (Acari: Argasidae) in Berlin. Germany Folia Parasitol (Praha) 41:155–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Knülle W (1998) Seasonal oviposition and temperature requirements of eggs may limit Northern distribution of European Argas reflexus (Acari: Argasidae). J Med Entomol 35:26–37. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/35.1.26

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Knülle W (1997) Life cycle and seasonal development of postembryonic Argas reflexus (Acari: Argasidae) at two thermally different locations in Central Europe. Exp Appl Acarol 21:697–712. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02803512

    Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H, Scheurer S, Kahl O (1999) The pigeon tick (Argas reflexus): its biology, ecology, and epidemiological aspects. Zentralblatt für Bakteriol 289:745–753. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0934-8840(99)80049-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dikaev BY (1980) Contribution to the argasid tick fauna in Checheno-Ingush ASSR (Argasidae). Parazitol Leningr 15:75–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Dusbabek F, Rosicky B (1976) Argasid ticks (Argasidae, Ixodoidea) of Czechoslovakia. Prirodoved. Pr. Ust. Ceskoslov. Akad, Ved v Brne, p 10

    Google Scholar 

  • Erman O, Özkan M, Ayyildiz N, Doǧan S (2007) Checklist of the mites (arachnide: Acari) of Turkey. Second supplement. Zootaxa 21:1–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Filippova NA (1966) Argasid ticks (Argasidae). Fauna SSSR 4:1–255 (In Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Genchi C, Magnino S, Pacetti A, Simeoni J, Sacco BD, Falagiani P (1989) Argas reflexus, a possible vector, of Borrelia burgdorferi. G Mal Infett Parassit 41:403–408

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillyard PD (1996) Ticks of North-West Europe. Field Studies Council, Shrewsbury

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoogstraal H, Kohls GM (1960) Observations on the Subgenus Argas (Ixodoidea, Argasidae, Argas) 1. Study of A. reflexus reflexus (Fabricius, 1794), the European Bird Argasid. Ann Entomol Soc Am 53:611–618. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aesa/53.5.611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hueli LE, Garcia Fernandez P (1983) Apus apus L. nuevo hospedador para Argas (Argas) reflexus (Fabricius, 1794) (Ixodoidea, Argasidae) en Espana. Rev Iber Parasitol 43:203–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Jongejan F, Uilenberg G (2005) The global importance of ticks. Parasitology 129:S3. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182004005967

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleintebbe J, Heinatz A, Graser I, Dautel H, Hansen G, Kespohl S, Rihs H, Raulfheimsoth M, Vater G, Rytter M (2006) Bites of the European pigeon tick (Argas reflexus): risk of IgE-mediated sensitizations and anaphylactic reactions. J Allergy Clin Immunol 117:190–195. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2005.08.056

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Labuda M, Nuttall PA (2004) Tick-borne viruses. Parasitology 129:S221–S245. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182004005220

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laubstein B, Herold D, Audring H, Buchholtz I (1993) Nächtliche Anaphylaxie durch Argas reflexus. Allergologie 16:370–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Manzano-Román R, Díaz-Martín V, de la Fuente J, Pérez-Sánchez R (2012) Soft ticks as pathogen vectors: distribution. INTECH Open Access Publisher, Surveillance and Control

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemenz H (1962) Zecken aus der Türkei und dem Karakorum (Acari, Ixodidae). Zeitschrift Parasitenkd 22:111–113. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00329208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nuttall PA, Jones LD, Labuda M, Kaufman WR (1994) Adaptations of arboviruses to ticks. J Med Entomol 31:1–9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/31.1.1

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petney TN, Pfäffle MP, Skuballa JD (2012) An annotated checklist of the ticks (Acari: Ixodida) of Germany. Syst Appl Acarol 17:115–170. https://dx.doi.org/10.11158/saa.17.2.2

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosa F, Crespo MV, Esteves L, Mendes L (2004) Distribuição de Argas (Argas) reflexus (Fabricius 1794) no Norte e Centro de Portugal. Acta Parasitologica Portuguesa 11:33–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Śpiewak R, Lundberg M, Johansson SGO, Buczek A (2006) Allergy to pigeon tick (Argas reflexus) in Upper Silesia. Poland Ann Agric Environ Med 13:107–112

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tahmasebi F, Ghiasi SM, Mostafavi E, Moradi M, Piazak N, Mozafari A, Haeri A, Fooks AR, Chinikar S (2010) Molecular epidemiology of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus genome isolated from ticks of Hamadan province of Iran. J Vector Borne Dis 47:211–216

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Theodor O, Costa M (2009) New species and new records of Argasidae from Israel. Observations on the rudimentary scutum and the respiratory system of the larvae of the Argasidae. Parasitology 50:365. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182000025464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uspensky I, Robinson WH, Bajomi D (2008) Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) as urban pests and vectors with special emphasis on ticks outside their geographical range. In: 6th International Conference on Urban Pests, Budapest, Hungary, 13–16 July 2008. International Conference on Urban Pests (ICUP), pp. 333–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermeil C, Marjolet M, Chastel C (1996) Argas et arbovirus actualités. Bull la Société Pathol Exot 89:363–365

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weckesser S, Hilger C, Lentz D, Jakob T (2010) Anaphylactic reactions to bites of the pigeon tick Argas reflexus. Eur J Dermatol 20:244–245. https://dx.doi.org/10.1684/ejd.2010.0886

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. P. Pfäffle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pfäffle, M.P., Petney, T.N. (2017). Argas reflexus (Fabricius, 1794) (Figs. 4 and 5). In: Estrada-Peña, A., Mihalca, A., Petney, T. (eds) Ticks of Europe and North Africa. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63760-0_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics